Falcons owner Blank talks up need for new stadium

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Arthur Blank mentioned the word "stadium" again.

The owner of the Atlanta Falcons again said he was nosing around downtown Atlanta as well as other parts of the city for a new place for the team to play. Blank, who has been talking for months about the need of a new stadium to replace the 17-year-old Georgia Dome, said the process could take years -- seven, he said -- and will be backed with private and public money.

Blank said the Falcons would be the chief backer of the stadium.

A new Georgia Dome is also a possibility. Blank said he continues to talk to the Georgia World Congress Center, which manages the Dome. A new Dome is included in the Congress Center's master plan that came out last year.

Whatever happens, Blank said the Falcons need to play in a new stadium not only to keep their competitive edge but to help Atlanta maintain its image as a world-class city. Blank has said previously that he wants a new stadium when the bonds sold to the Georgia Dome are paid off, probably around 2015 to 2020. He mentioned Thursday that the team's lease of the state-owned facility expires in 2020 or when the bonds are paid.

"The Falcons are falling behind other teams in the NFL in terms of the experience for our fans," Blank said at the Atlanta Press Club Thursday.

The Falcons started playing in the Georgia Dome in 1992. Since that time, 25 NFL teams have gotten new stadiums, Blank said. He's concerned that the franchise's competitive edge is waning without a modern-looking home.

"We want the right environment for our fans and for our sponsors," Blank said.

A Florida developer negotiating to buy the former General Motors assembly plant in Doraville floated the idea of building a new stadium for the Falcons, creating a buzz last December. The Sembler Co. of St. Petersburg, Fla., proposed 90 acres for the stadium, with the remaining 75 acres for mix-used development.

The stadium could have a retractable roof and cost approximately $1 billion.

Sembler created another stir this year by asking DeKalb County for a 100 percent tax break on its development project at Brookhaven. The company temporarily withdrew its request.